Chapter 13: Bitter Dreams
'Where am I?'
This looked like...a town? A familiar town...but something was wrong. Everything looked like it had been drawn out of crayon. The child drawing houses, the kiddish pavement, even the sun was just a squiggles.
'What am I doing here? Why can't I remember?' I tried to think...but I couldn't.
"Hey!"
I gasped. There were two people standing in front of me. Though, people was a loose term. They were shadows of people, the same height as me, that seemed to have hair and clothes if their shapes indicated anything. But...there were holes for their eyes, and they had creepy, crescent moon shaped holes for smiles. I didn't like it.
"What are you doing over here?" One of them asked. Their mouths didn't move when they talked.
"You look bored." Their voices echoed, and they always had a joyful tone to them. A pleasant ring...so high-pitched it hurt my ears. "You should come do something fun with us."
"Wh-?" I tried to respond.
"Come on!" One of them seized my wrist. It hurt. Their smiles ever-present.
"Let's go have fun!" They were dragging me, I stumbled behind them.
"W-Wait..." I tried to respond. What was happening? Who were they? I couldn't understand it at all.
"We're gonna have fun." They both said, their smiles creeping ever wider. "You want to have fun, don't you?"
"You'll be happy, we promise." They echoed sickeningly sweetly.
"No..." I tried to respond.
Where were they taking me? I looked ahead and saw more of them. The shadows with their hollow eyes and creepy smiles.
"Have fun with us." They chorused. "We'll have fun together. We'll laugh together. You'll be happy."
"I-I don't want that...!" I tried to dig in my heels, but they were too strong and I was being pulled.
"We'll play. We'll jump between platforms. We'll fight monsters. We'll play tag." They'd jump over spikes. They'd kill things. They'd hurt me.
"I don't want to!" I yelled.
"Of course you want to." They were all approaching me. Smiling. Cackling. "It's fun. You'll have fun. So much fun." They were closing in. They were choking me. Suffocating.
"Let go of me!" I shouted as I finally pulled myself from their grip. "Stop telling me that it'll be fun! Leave me alone!" I buried my head in my hands.
And it was silent. When I looked again, they were all gone, and I was completely alone.
"Hold on..." I realised. "I don't want that either! Come back!"
It was empty. I was all alone. Completely alone.
"Somebody...anybody..." I reached out feebly...trying to find something that wasn't there.
Nobody would come for me. Not for me.
I woke up. Not with a scream or in a cold sweat, but definitely shaken, face buried in the dirt.
"Ugh..." I picked myself up and wiped my face down. I was still in Subcon Forest. "Did I...pass out? Why-...oh..."
I clenched my fists and bit my lower lip. "Stupid...I'm so stupid..."
I walked over and picked the Time Piece up. "The one thing Knit told you not to do and you do it. Idiot..."
I waited a couple of minutes to settle, before I returned to the ship. It seemed to be silent. I went and put the Time Piece in the vault, just before the Kitchen door opened.
"Tie!" CC ran over to me and grabbed me. "What is this about you all losing your souls in Subcon!? Why did you not come back with Hat and Bow? Why is your face dirty?"
"Yeah, that happened." I responded. "No biggie. We'll get them back. Where are Hat and Bow?"
"They came back briefly to have some lunch, then went straight off after telling me Snatcher had taken your souls!" She cried.
"Then I'd better get going too." I began walking past her.
"Absolutely not." She grabbed me by the shoulder. "For one thing, we need to get you cleaned up. Come with me." I didn't have the strength to fight against her as she dragged me into the kitchen, before picking me up and setting me on the counter.
"Despite appearances, I'm not a child mentally." I cryptically told her.
"Even if you're not a child, you're still a person." CC said as she wet a flannel and rinsed it out. "And one who needs my care."
"Then why don't they call you Caring Cat?" I questioned.
"No pushing it." She purred as she began rubbing my face. "Now then, explan why you came back so much later."
"We just decided to do contracts separately. Get more progress that way." I told her.
"Did Hat want to go with Bow over you?"
"...No. She just suggested it."
"Are you sure?"
"Sure. Mmm." She rubbed over my eyes.
"There." She took the cloth away. "That's better. How do you feel? Considering you sold your soul?"
"We didn't have much choice."
"It's partially my fault." She wringed the flannel out. "I should have warned you about Subcon."
"Of course it's not your fault. I think that was just unavoidable." I responded.
"You all seem surprisingly fine, despite that." She admitted. "You really are tough little otherworlders aren't you?"
"Yeah..."
"Let's heat you up some lunch." She then picked me up and sat me at the table. "You wait here."
"This really isn't necessary." I mumbled.
"Nonsense." She went over to the counter. "Do you like eggs on toast?"
"Mm-hm."
"Right." She began cooking as I sat there. There was an unfamiliar feeling in my chest.
"...Where's Boss?" I asked, trying to ignore it.
"He's in the Machine Room. Seems to like it in there. Travels on top of Roombi to explore all over the ship." She told me.
"Well at least he can't touch anything." I figured.
"You're cautious of him."
"He tried to kill Hat. I'm not gonna turn a blind eye to that."
"You really do care about her, don't you?" She said. "If that's the case, why the tough exterior?"
"That's...private." I admitted.
"Okay. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." She said.
"You gave up on that quick."
"Did I? Maybe you're species is just nosy."
"Can't argue with that..." I began thinking about that dream again. It felt hauntingly real, and painfully familiar. No doubt Subcon had SOMETHING to do with that. It was a dangerous place on this so far averagely dangerous planet. It felt out of place almost.
"Here you go." I realised she placed a plate with eggs on toast in front of me.
"Thank you, CC." I was about to start eating, when I flinched.
CC was giving me a hug.
"Um..." I spoke awkwardly.
"I know your type you know." She told me. "The type to bury feelings, act stronger then you feel. So I can tell that this is hurting you more then you're letting on. You shouldn't have to have that mindset. But if that's all you understand, then I should at least tell you that you will be alright in the end. You and Hat are both quite amazing like that."
I realised what this feeling was. It was feeling loved. it was being comforted with a soft, calm kindness, something I'd never felt before. Why had I never felt that before now? I had felt kindness and love...but it had never been so...gentle.
She released me, and I had to hide my disappointment. "You eat your lunch, dearie. And take care of yourself. I'm gonna go do the laundry. Can't keep wearing the same apron and chefs hat like you lot." She then exited the room.
I stared where she had gone for a moment, before I turned back and began eating my eggs and toast, holding back my tears.
KER-CHUNK!
I picked up the capsule as it fell out of the vending machine. It seemed to be a colour. I popped it open and allowed the smoke to cover me and vanish before I looked myself over. My hair had turned dark pink, whilst my shirt had turned dark purple, my trousers light purple, whilst my tie became black and yellow. I dubbed this colour scheme 'Toxic Waste'.
I think I'll keep this one for a bit." I decided as I put three more Tokens in.
"May I ask what you are doing?" I glanced at Boss as he came over, riding on Roombi.
"What does it look like? I'm using my Rift Tokens." I pulled the handle as the wheels began spinning.
"Unlike your captain, you don't seem the kind to enjoy cosmetics." He said.
"You'd be surprised." I told him as the wheels stopped and a flair capsule popped out.
"Perhaps you are finally in a talking mood?"
"No, I'm tolerating." I opened the capsule as the smoke billowed out and faded, but nothing changed, so I reckoned it was one of my other neckwear-
"CC told me you still distrust me because I fought you both." Oh no, she told him that.
"Pretty much." There was no change with the Bat Bow either.
"Hmph. Well, I'm the one who ended up beaten, before being reduced to a jar!" He huffed.
Ah, the Spark Scarf had changed. It was now puffy and black in colour, with little orange tassels on the ends. I think it was supposed to be likened to thunderclouds. Anyway... "What do you want from me, Boss?"
"Information. I've given up on general things such as your species. I doubt I could comprehend it." He spoke. "And from my limited time aboard this ship, only one thing sits on my mind; who are you, Tie?"
I glanced at the jar. "Well, I think you can tell I'm not like the rest of my species."
"That was evident when Bow arrived." He said.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror. "I'm different. From the moment I was born. It wasn't because of my upbringing or anything like that. I don't know if it's a faulty gene or something, but there's nobody else with my...mindset, in the entire history of our species."
"Your personality, is it?" Boss mumbled. "And is that why Bow regarded you like that?"
"That's..." I frowned at myself.
"Actually, I'm content with just that. For now." He said. "I'm sure you are very busy after all. I'll leave you to it. To the kitchen, Roombi!" The little Roomba obliged.
"This doesn't mean I forgive you!" I called after him.
"Like I care! Most people hate me!" He responded.
"Jarhead." I muttered, before going back into the bedroom to jump back down into Subcon.
I hovered back down into Subcon and glanced around. "Now then, Snatcher, where are-"
"Yah!" I felt somebody fall on top of my head. "Wow, your hair is surprisingly fluffy. And why is it pink?"
"Hello to you too, Knit." I picked the little yarn girl off of my head and put her down. "Colour capsule."
"Sounds fancy." She responded. "You're back quick."
"I've got a job to do." I said. "Have you seen Hat and Bow around here?"
"Who?"
"Oh, right, I've not told you. Two girls, about my height, differing skin tones?"
"Those two? Yeah, they headed off towards the well. So you ARE related." Knit nodded.
"Sort of. Do you know where Snatcher is?"
"Did somebody call?" Speak of the devil, the area around us instantly blackened as the spirit popped up in front of us, and Knit hid behind me. "Hello there, Brat! Back so soon?"
"Haven't got much of a choice now, have I?"
"That's the spirit! And what's this? Is that Moonjumper's little toy behind you?" He smirked darkly.
"Daughter!" She yelled, still hiding behind me.
"You know Moonjumper?" I distracted him.
"Barely. He was erased from time itself after all." Snatcher gloated. "The only thing he left behind is that thing. And every time I look at it, I get this really ticked off feeling. I guess he was a stubborn thing to cling to existence with such a tiny bit of fluff. It's a miracle it wasn't existed as well, but that's probably because it's so insignificant."
"Will you just give me a job?" I hissed at his joyful tone.
"Touchy, touchy, brat. You wanna protect the thing? Good for you! But you're still mine, and here's another job to prove it!" He got out another contract. This one seemed to be about fixing up a graveyard.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night." I muttered as I signed with the signature I used last time.
"I gotta learn you aliens handwriting...somehow." He grumbled. "Well, good luck!" He then vanished.
"Are you okay?" I asked Knit.
"I'm fine. I can't be shaken that easily." She stated firmly.
"Good for you." I nodded. "Right then, seems like I'm going this way."
"Mind if I come along?" Knit offered.
"Sure." I figured as we headed on our way. I slipped the Spark Scarf on and zapped any enemies who got too close.
"Been making use of the magical yarn I see." Knit said.
"Yeah, pretty useful." I admitted. "You said something about it being yours before, right?"
"Well, technically it's my dads. Something else he left behind." Knit corrected me. "But it's still technically mine now. Part of what makes me up, after all."
"It's really helped both me and Hat a lot." I told her.
"So, tell me about Hat and Bow."
"Hat is my captain." I knocked a spider away with my yo-yo. "She can be a real pain. She's narrowminded, reckless, forgetful and forceful."
"She sounds awful." Knit said.
"I'm not done." I told her firmly. "Because she's also kind, sweet, cheerful, and above all else..." I smiled. "She sees the good in everybody. I owe a lot to her."
"Oh...and what about Bow?"
"Just like Hat but minus the good parts."
"Wow. That easy to describe?"
"I practically summarised my entire species." I sighed.
"You're not like that though."
"I'm the oddity."
"Hmm...oh! Tie!" Knit suddenly pointed to a ball of magic yarn behind some bushes. "There's one! Pick it up!"
"Hey, thanks Knit." I went over and picked it up. "You sure you don't want this?"
"I'm actually happy it's useful to you." She smiled with her eyes.
"Well, thanks. Actually I think I have enough for something new." I got out the five yarn balls I had gathered, as they all weaved together to make...
"A pearl necklace?" It certainly was. But each pearl had two little dots for eyes and three lines on the bottom, making them look like cute little cue ball skulls. "How does yarn make a pearl necklace?"
"Magic yarn." Knit answered.
"Right. Let's see what it can do." I traded my tie for the necklace. "Alright, I can feel the ability like with the Spark Scarf, so...woah."
Suddenly me and my clothes turned completely ghost white, and I gained two wisps on my shoulders whilst my hair turned all wavy. "So...ghost? Ghost."
"Dashing." Knit said.
"Wait, you can still see me?"
"Yeah."
"Darn, thought I had invisibility." I snapped my fingers, before hopping. "Can't even fly." Finally, I tried sticking my arm in a tree, and it went right through! "Oh, okay, phasing through things. This is cool enough." I could put my arm through my other arm!
"I guess it's a given your species can use magic." Knit nodded.
"You call it magic too?" I disengaged the necklace's power. "The most we show of it is our athletic abilities and our Charms."
"What's a Charm?"
"Something pointless to our species. But it's cute so who cares." Reciting the mentality of others.
"...Do you have a Charm?"
"Never seen it myself." I continued walking. "C'mon, let's head to the graveyard."
We eventually arrived, and thanks to my new Necro Necklace (named by yours truly) I could slip past the fences. Knit just unravelled and snaked through. The job itself was simple enough; hit a few spiders with my yo-yo, push a couple of gravestones back into place, all whilst picking up a Pon or two with a Relic piece on the side.
"I didn't realise Snatcher has a gardener's eye." I huffed as I pushed a gravestone back in. "But he sure doesn't have a green thumb if he's making me do the dirty work."
"That's Snatcher to a T. Make others do work for him with his contracts." Knit said, opting to watch, which I didn't mind, I was just glad for the company.
"So, what exactly is he? Do you know?" I asked.
"Well, he's supernatural for sure." Knit shrugged. "He just showed up a long, long time ago and has been ruling the forest ever since. Nobody knows how he appeared, but he's certainly bound to this world by some regret."
"Regret? So he's a ghost?"
"Much more powerful then any normal ghost." Knit lay down on her back. "I've peeked on him a couple of times as a piece of string. He's weirdly normal when he's on his own. Reads books."
"Even supernatural deities need a hobby I guess." I muttered.
"If he's a deity kill me now." Knit sighed. "He was a major pain for dad back when he was still alive." I was actually wondering if she had a single thought in her head that didn't stem from Moonjumper. Maybe the thing, whatever he was, really was selfish like that.
"Okay, one more grave to go, then Time Piece get." I nodded as I began walking over to it, the largest one.
"Woah, hey!" I jumped at a familiar voice. "Back up a bit!"
"...Moustache!?" I gasped, and the girl herself poked her head out from behind the grave.
"Well, well, well, long time no see, Tie." She strolled out. "How've you been? I've been great, after you betrayed me."
"Oh, that's rich." I mumbled.
"Where's Hat? She get bored of you and go off on her own?" That shouldn't have stung as much as it did.
"Do you two know each other?" Knit asked.
"Unfortunately." I nodded.
"Wow. Rude." She muttered. "So, what? Is this your new partner or something?"
"A friend." I responded.
"You can make friends? Quite surprising." Oh she is not helping my mental state.
"Still on that one-track mindset?" I questioned.
"Obviously!" Moustache cried. "I'm not gonna give up on getting rid of those guys! In fact, my aim is even bigger now!" That was never good. "I'm gonna be the hero of the entire planet!"
"You really think you can do something like that?" I mumbled.
"Actually, yeah! I do! Because I've got backup now!" She boasted. "Come on out and say hi!"
Then, somebody else appeared from behind the statue. They had the same body type as us minus Knit, same height and all, and wore a white cloak with tattered ends and a hood that completely obscured their face in darkness. Their body was completely covered in bandages, but they had the same appendages we did, and had black pointed shoes as well as wore a hoodless dark green poncho. In their right hand they carried a tuning fork so long it was practically a sword, with the ends looking like clock hands.
"Who is this?" I cautiously asked. This guy put me on my guard for some reason.
"My name is Voice." They spoke with a tone that was both male and female, resonating, almost.
"Voice is helping me to complete my goal of collecting the Time Pieces and fixing this planet!" Moustache nodded.
"Are they now?" I looked at the figure.
"This grave is one I made. Don't touch it." Voice spoke.
"That so?" Every fibre of my being was wary of them.
"So you should tell Hat, Tie, that we're going to collect all the Time Pieces!" Moustache grinned.
"What do you mean by fixing the planet?" I turned back to Moustache, but remained wary of Voice.
"That's a surprise, for when I do it, and I will!" She grinned.
"Me and Hat already told you; nobody has the right to mess with time!" I raised my voice.
"You're just being selfish and lazy!" Moustache yelled back. "I'm gonna use the Time Pieces correctly! To fix all the mistakes!"
"You-!" The moment I took a step forward, Voice instantly held their tuning fork inbetween us, obviously meant to be intimidating...and it worked. I stepped back. "Mistakes aren't meant to be fixed. You're meant to learn from them. And what exactly do you treat as a 'mistake'?"
"Everything that isn't for the better." She spoke with disturbing conviction. "C'mon, Voice! Let's get back to looking!" She then ran off.
"Unbelievable." I growled, but then I looked at Voice.
I stared into that expanse of black that was his hood, and I felt it. As they passed me. Even though I couldn't see their eyes, I knew what it was as Voice passed me and followed after Moustache.
It was a look of contempt.
"Tie?" I snapped out of my stupor. "Are you okay?"
"...Yeah." I glared back at where they had gone. Then I turned to look at the grave that Voice had apparently made. It was large, and had what looked to be multiple crosses stacked side by side instead of one. Looking at the writing on the stone, it only read: 'TO THOSE LOST BY TIME'
"Those two are really weird." Knit stated. "Especially that Voice. They were giving off a lot of weird energy."
"There's definitely something about them...no clue what it is, though." I admitted, as I pushed the grave, right into the middle of the graveyard.
"Job well done, is it?" Snatcher instantly appeared. "Not bad, not bad. The new one is a bit obnoxious, but hey, since it's here, it's mine now, and I don't mind it."
"Those two...what are they up to?" I questioned the shadow.
"You're asking me?"
"You're the one who said you know everything in this forest."
"Smart aleck. If you want to know...then I won't tell you!" He gloated. "Be thankful you're getting paid at all." Another Time Piece appeared, before he vanished.
"...I'd better tell Hat about this." I said as I picked up the Time Piece.
"Take care, Tie." Knit waved.
"...Yeah." Even though she was trying to be kind, it didn't stop the aching I felt. And that really made me feel terrible.
"That jerk!" Hat declared.
We were all sitting around the table, eating spaghetti cooked by CC. I had informed everyone about Moustache and Voice, as well as switched back to my original colours.
"I'll show her! Trying to mess with time..." Hat then stuffed a forkful of pasta in her mouth before ranting some more, but we couldn't understand her.
"Yeah! How dare she!" Bow copied her, forkful and all.
"Have either of you two ever heard of Voice?" I asked CC and Boss.
"No, never met someone like that." The cat admitted.
"In all the intel I've ever gathered as Boss of the Mafia of Cooks...nothing." The bottle admitted.
"Mmm..." That didn't bode well. If Moustache's boasting was anything to go by, Voice had an understanding of time travel. But how?
"Me and Bow are gonna have a slumber party! Girls only!" Hat declared suddenly. "That means no disturbances!"
"Hooray! Slumber party!" Bow cheered.
"Hold on! No midnight snacks!" I said.
"Phooey!" The pair of them glared at me with puffed cheeks. Hat's was innocent. Bow's wasn't.
"It is getting late on the planet though. And you all have had a rough day." CC said. "You should get some rest."
"I make my own bedtime!" Hat declared.
"Captain, you can't stay up past 11." I told the table.
"Tie! Don't say that!" Hat cried.
"I'll turn in for the night, I guess." I agreed nonetheless.
"Slumber party!" Hat persisted, with Bow agreeing.
'Is this how it's just gonna be now?' I thought as I watched the pair run off. 'Those two always together? Ugh...my soul is gone, I feel awful and now this whole ordeal with Moustache and Voice...? This is getting to be too much.'
"Tie." I looked over my shoulder at CC. "Do you need a hand with anything?"
"...No. Thank you, CC." I told her, before I walked out to get ready for bed.
I was here again. This scribbled town. It all felt too real.
I was alone again. Begging for somebody, anybody, to appear.
Then, one of those figures appeared in front of me, with the creepy eyes and smile.
"H-Hey..." I feebly called out. "I...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to-"
"You're mean." It spoke, keeping its smile. "You're depressing. You're sad."
"Wait...what?" I shook my head. "But I haven't done anything."
"You're so sad." Another shadow suddenly appeared next to me. "And you make everybody else sad. You're like a disease. Spreading your sadness to everybody else."
"Why can't you just be happy like us?" More and more of them were popping up, surrounding me, their smiles everywhere I looked. "Instead, you make everybody feel awful. You're terrible. You're inconsiderate. You're harmful."
"I-I'm not! I haven't done anything!" I cried out.
"You're depressing. You're miserable." They were drawing closer, looming over me, their smiles growing crooked. "You're a Misery. A little Misery that makes everything else bad. A Misery. A bad, bad, Misery."
"Stop it!" I screamed as I clutched my head in my hands.
"Misery! Misery! Misery! Misery! Misery! Misery! Misery! Misery! Misery! Misery! Misery! Misery! Misery! Misery! Misery! Misery! Misery! Misery! Misery! Misery!" They chanted over and over again.
"Please...stop..." I begged. It was too painful.
And suddenly, the chanting ended. I looked up and saw someone in front of me. A young boy, holding a candy cane tie, facing away from me.
"Is that...?" I breathed.
"I'm not gonna be alone." Younger me said, as he held up a marker in his other hand.
"Wait, I remember this." I whispered to myself.
I watched as younger me drew a smiley face on his tie. "You'll be my friend, won't you?" He put it on. "I have a friend...I do...so maybe, finally...I can..."
He turned towards me, as his eyes were black holes, and his mouth was carved into a black smile. "BE HAPPY!"
I awoke in my bed. No scream, no cold sweat, but a feeling of dread.
I looked at my tie on the bedside table, the smile drawn on it now a happy smiling sun from the Flair.
Toxic Waste: A set of colours that really make you feel like a waste of space!...Oof.
Necro Necklace: Allows Tie to turn into a ghost that can phase through walls. You're invincible! But you also can't attack...
And so ends another chapter! This time, we finally see my third original character: Voice! In case you couldn't tell, they're gonna play a big role later on, but right now it's all about Subcon!
This chapter was basically just a lot of hinting and foreshadowing, hope I didn't give too much away, but also hope it was enough to keep you all invested! How will Tie fare by the end of this arc?
Thank you to Konan720 and ahmadkhadi.2002 for reviewing! You...certainly did get to 69 reviews! Remember, if you wanna ask our heroes something, or just want to see them interact about something, you can ask!
This chapter now comes to a close, but don't fear! Next chapter, we're taking a trip to a certain manor. See you then!
